The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium hortorum which is a zonal geranium known by the varital name Fox. The new variety is a seedling resulting from a cross of the varieties Kardinal and Purpurball (commercialized in the United States as Veronica under U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,054).
The new variety was discovered in a selective breeding program by Mrs. Christa Hofmann.
The new cultivar was discovered in 1984 at the VEB Saatzucht Zierpflanzen Dresden, German Democratic Republic, and was first asexually reproduced by cuttings in Dresden, German Democratic Republic, and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced over a two-year period by cuttings for Oglevee Associates, Inc. in Connellsville, Pa. It has also been trialed and field tested over the summers of 1987 and 1988 in Connellsville, Pa. and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propogations.
The new cultivar is a compact, upright well-branched plant of excellent conformation and has attractive dark foliage which compliments the brilliant fluorescent fuschia color of the flower. The healthy foliage is an improvement to the current varieites such as Aurora in this color class. The plant is slightly larger than Veronica and the overall color contains more purple tones than Veronica.
The new cultivar, when grown in a greenhouse in Connellsville, Pa., using natural light and 60.degree. F. night temperature, 68.degree. F. day temperature and 71.degree. F. vent temperature, has a response of eight weeks from a well-rooted cutting to a flowering plant in a four inch (10 cm) pot.